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Ref Makes Announcement on Caitlin Clark's Flagrant Foul on Angel Reese

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Emily Bicks | Last updated May 17, 2025 8:31 PM ET

The Indiana Fever crushed the Chicago Sky 93-58 in their 2025 WNBA season opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 17.

Fever guard Caitlin Clark wasted no time make league history, becoming the first player to ever record 20 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds in a season opener, her third career triple-double.

However, things got chippy with Sky forward Angel Reese in the third quarter. After Reese appeared to push Fever forward Natasha Howard to grab on offensive rebound, Clark signaled expecting a call from the refs but didn't get one. While Reese attempted a layup, Clark wrapped her up for a foul.

After a video replay, the referees upgraded Clark's common foul to a flagrant 1 while Reese and Fever forward Aliya Boston received offsetting technical fouls for what transpired afterward.

"It's just a good take foul. Either Angel gets wide open 2 points or we send to the free throw line," Clark told ESPN's Holly Rowe at the break. "Nothing malicious about it. It's just a good take foul every basketball player knows that."

Caitlin Clark received a flagrant foul on this play.

Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese received offsetting technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/jzQYEW92TW
— ESPN (@espn) May 17, 2025

Reese said of the altercation during her postgame press conference, "Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on."

While no one questions that Clark deserved a foul, the upgrade to a flagrant 1 sparked a strong reaction from fans and analysts. After the game, referee and crew chief Roy Gulbeyan made a statement on the controversial decision in the pool report.

Gulbeyan said, "The foul on Clark met the criteria for Flagrant Foul 1, for wind up, impact, and follow through for the extension of the left hand to Reese's back, which is deemed not a legitimate basketball play, and there deemed unnecessary contact."

"After the foul," Gulbeyan continued, "there is a physical taunt technical on Boston and a verbal technical on Reese, which offset."

Speaking to reporters after the game, Boston was completely unaware that she received in a technical.

"It's a take foul," Clark repeated. "I went for the ball. It's clear as day in the replay.. it should've have been upgraded, but again, that's up to the ref's digression... But I appreciate AB having my back, I guess. I don't even know what she did.

When it came to Boston's incoming fine, "I got it, don't worry," Clark told her teammate.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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